Budgeting for your big day is one of the least romantic aspects of wedding planning (that is, until you get to the seating chart), and it can also be one of the most stressful. Weddings are not only a significant expense — the average wedding in 2012 was nearly $28,500, according a survey by The Knot — but they are also tricky to budget for, considering nearly a third of all couples spend more than they planned. Stay on track by doing some serious upfront accounting, including these five often-overlooked — but important! — items.

Tax and gratuity are a huge expense that most couples don’t consider up front. Unless you are getting married in one of the five states with no sales tax (Alaska, Montana, New Hampshire, Delaware, or Oregon), many of your vendors will need to charge you tax on the services they provide. Comb every contract to see if the price quote includes tax; if it doesn’t, find out your state’s rate — it can be as high as 7.5 percent, if you live in California — and do the math. While you are at it, factor in the gratuity if they haven’t for you (check out this wedding tips guide provided by Real Simple), which can range anywhere from 10 to 20 percent, depending on the vendor. You’ll also want to plan on having some extra cash on hand on the wedding day to dish out to those people who go above and beyond.

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